Creativity
by SiriAnna33
Summary: "Here's that paperwork you asked for...Reginald." She shoots her assistant a look and his smile only cracks wider. "Call me that again and I'll fire you." He outright laughs at this, holding out a stack of paperwork. "Care to explain?" She makes an irritated noise. "It seems the new barista downstairs has a sense of humor." "I like him."


The first time is an accident.

She knows this because the shop is loud and it's packed, and the man taking her order is clearly overworked. His t-shirt and the apron over it are stained and if the bags under his eyes are any clue, he was probably the one who opened at five this morning. There's a sharpie tucked behind his ear, but when he goes to mark her cup, he still pulls one from the container.

"And what name would you like on that?"

"Regina." She speaks clearly, she's sure, but when she gets her cappuccino, she frowns.

Virginia is scrawled across the side.

He's there the next day too. She comes in earlier, closer to seven than eight, and the shop isn't nearly as busy. In fact, it's rather quiet: there's a couple cuddling on the couch and someone ahead of her in line, but that's it. As the person ahead of her finishes and steps out of the way, the man behind the counter flashes her a smile that she could only describe as charming.

"Same as yesterday?" He asks, leaning against the counter.

"Sorry?" She blinks. He smiles again and she notices that he looks considerably more well rested this morning. His dirty blonde hair is still messy, but it looks more like it's on purpose rather than the result of running frustrated hands through it. There are no bags under his eyes, and that grin -

She looks away.

"Low fat cappuccino with a shot of sugar-free hazelnut, right?"

She raises her brow but nods. "Yes, actually. Do you remember all your customer's orders?"

He pulls the marker - from behind his ear this time - and taps his head with the end. "I have a good memory." As he pulls a cup from the stack beside him and begins to write on it, he adds, "But honestly? Only the cute ones."

Regina tries not to smile as she hands over her card to pay. From under her lashes she sees that his nametag reads David.

And when she gets her coffee, it reads Virginia.

He winks at her as she leaves.

The third time, he actually looks at her card as he goes to swipe it.

"Regina, huh? You never corrected me."

She shrugs, scribbling her signature across the reciept. "It's not the first time, and it won't be the last. It's a busy coffee shop; it didn't seem like something to make a big deal out of."

"Well," He says, going to mark her cup, "I'll make sure I get it right this time." He spins it to reveal Regina written in neat letters, a tiny heart dotting the i. She feels the corners of her mouth twitch and he beams, handing it off to a leggy brunette who rolls her eyes at him before going to make Regina's drink.

"I appreciate it," She says, holding eye contact for just a moment too long before moving to the back where customers generally wait for their drinks. When the brunette hands her her coffee, the heart has been colored red. It matches her bright lips, which are currently smirking at her from across the counter. Regina nods her thanks, avoiding the gaze of David and the other barista as she leaves the store, hoping her blush isn't as evident as it feels.

The fourth time, she's on a phone call and despite David's best smiles, her full attention is on the angry sales manager on the other end of the line.

"The usual?" He asks as she approaches and she nods, mouthing a thank you. "No problem, I got you covered." He spins the marker between his fingers before carefully marking something decidedly shorter than Regina on the side. She leans over to try and see, but he holds it back. "Nope, no peeking," He says. The brunette is there again and she plucks the cup from his hand without asking, and he shakes his head. "That'll be $4.55, as always."

She pays and spends the time waiting for her drink trying to calm Steve, the asshole she thinks she really should have fired before he got so far in her business.

What with the man shouting abuse in her ear, she almost forgets to check the cup.

GiGi.

She rolls her eyes but the nickname makes her laugh and she steals a glance back at the attractive barista even as she has to explain to the man on the phone that no, she wasn't laughing at him.

David catches her gaze and winks at her, and this time she makes no attempt to hide her grin.

"Here's that paperwork you asked for...Reginald."

She shoots her assistant a look and his smile only cracks wider. "Call me that again and I'll fire you."

He outright laughs at this, holding out a stack of paperwork. "Care to explain?"

She makes an irritated noise. "It seems the new barista downstairs has a sense of humor."

"I like him."

Regina shoots him another look and he holds his hands up in surrender.

"Alright, alright. You know I can get coffee for you, right? I am your assistant."

"Sam, please, you and I both know you couldn't get up before eight if you tried." She smiles, taking the papers from him. "No, I can get my morning coffee. However, once that's empty..." She shakes the old and drained coffee and he takes it from her.

"Sure thing. Same as usual?" She nods and he's out the door but it's only a second before he pokes his head back in. "Hang on, what's this new guy look like?"

Regina keeps her eyes on her paperwork. "Uh, blonde, average height, light eyes. Attractive, I suppose."

Sam doesn't comment but she can practically feel the grin on his face. "Got it."

"Why did you want to know?" She asks, but the man is already out the door. She tries to bury herself in her work again, but she finds her attention drifting and she fidgets in her chair. Sam returns fifteen minutes later, a paper cup and napkin in hand.

"He asked about you as soon as I gave him the name for the drink." Sam puts the coffee in front of her and darts back to the door before adding, "You should really go for it, you know." He indicates the drink before ducking out into the hall, leaving a puzzled Regina behind.

Biting her lip, she slowly turns the coffee around until the writing comes into view.

Reggie, dinner?

An hour later she's finished her drink and bulldozed her way through all of the paperwork, emails, and phone calls she had on her before-lunch to-do list. She grabs her empty drink and her purse and makes to leave the office. On her way out she tells Sam she's taking an early lunch. He smirks but doesn't say anything, simply turning his eyes back to his computer.

"Smart kid," she mutters, and he laughs.

The lobby is nearly empty at this hour, and as she enters the shop she sees that it's not much busier in there. There's a blonde woman at the register this time, and as she walks in, she sees the same brunette from before whisper something to her and take her place. As she approaches, the brunette speaks up.

"David's shift ended fifteen minutes ago."

Regina stops a few feet away from the counter. "Oh. Thank you anyway." For some reason she's relieved and disappointed at the same time.

The brunette leans over the counter and Regina catches a glimpse at her nametag. Ruby. "Look, he told me he was going to hang out in that bookstore next door for awhile after work. I think he was hoping you'd come by."

He's there, true to Ruby's word, browsing the new release fiction section when she walks in. The store, much like the coffee shop, is relatively empty; she only spots a woman at the register and one towards the back. He doesn't notice her at first and she takes the moment to collect herself, playing with the edges of the cup in her hand. Finally she works up the courage and walks up behind him.

"You know, there are more direct ways to ask a girl out than through her personal assistant."

"Stalking me now?" He asks with a smirk as he turns to face her.

"A little bird told me you'd be here."

"Did she?" He glances down at the cup Regina is holding at her chest, writing facing him. "You just seemed so busy, I figured this way you could get back to me on your own time. And, honestly, I was a little afraid to ask you in person. You're kind of intimidating." With that he rounds the corner of the shelf, Regina following.

"Intimidating?"

"You know, always on the phone, keep to yourself, business woman type." He gestures down at her outfit, looking a bit nervous. "And now you're here. So I guess that means you have an answer?"

That same spike of anxiety from earlier wells up in her stomach but she ignores it. She places the empty cup on the shelf next to them, casting a quick glance to see that there's nobody in the aisle but them. Without a word she threads a finger through his belt loop and pulls him towards her. She can see his breath hitch in his throat as realization hits him, and when her lips meet his he lets out a groan that she's sure the other customers can hear.

When she ends up in the bathroom stall of the store with her thighs wrapped around his waist and skirt rucked up around her hips, it's definitely not an accident.


End file.
